Gamers Get Their Own Tablet In October

Amazon was on a roll yesterday with the announcement of multiple new Kindle devices. The Kindle Fire HD and Paperwhite are sure to be a hit among consumers this holiday season. Unfortunately, Amazon didn't have a tablet that addresses the needs of the gamer. One company is hoping to fix that in October.

Wikipad Inc, the makers of the aptly named Wikipad, have announced a partnership with GameStop that will see the new gamer-centric tablet being offered at GameStop locations across the nation. For those unaware, the Wikipad is the first tablet to come equipped with an attachable gamepad controller that emulates what you would find on the Xbox 360 or PS3 controllers.

The Wikipad will launch on October 31 for $499. It's a little on the expensive side, but people who buy it from GameStop will get a lot of extra goodies:

"GameStop is the retail destination when it comes to video games. Nobody but GameStop provides gamers with the best gaming content on the market. And for those that purchase or pre-order a Wikipad at GameStop, their tablet will have access to valuable extras including exclusive free, full-length game titles. The Wikipad is powered by an Nvidia Tegra 3 processor and will support PlayStation Mobile platform," said Fraser Townley, President of Sales for Wikipad, Inc.

The Wikipad is a 10-inch tablet that runs on Android 4.1. It will have support for the PlayStation Mobile platform, but it also supports Google Play and Gaikai. In essence, the Wikipad will be the best tablet for the discerning gamer as it promises to be host to more than just simple rope cutting simulators.

The inclusion of the Nvidia Tegra 3 processor also ensures access to the Tegra Zone. It's is a special store that includes all the games built specifically for Nvidia's Tegra 3 processor. Games built specifically for the Tegra 3 tend to look and perform better than their counterparts.

It should be noted that Google's Nexus 7 is equipped with the same Tegra 3 processor and it's half the price of the Wikipad. Gamers interested in tablet gaming would be wise to balance their needs when it comes to these tablets. The Wikipad has a bigger screen and an attachable gamepad, but is it worth the extra $250? You may be better off just saving up for Razer's tablet. It comes with an Intel i7 and Windows 8 Pro for true PC gaming on a tablet.